essure

Many of my past pursuits have been dedicated towards bringing gender equality towards men in the family law courts. However, being consistent in my belief that both genders face unique forms of discrimination, I feel that the “Essure” birth control product is sacrificing the health of our female population for the sake of profiteering on behalf of companies like Bayer and the doctors who accept their payments to push their dangerous products.

A CNN analysis shows that from August 2013 through December 2017, Bayer Pharmaceuticals paid 11,850 doctors $2.5 million related to Essure. Bayer recently announced it would pull the device off the market.

While all forms of birth control, aside from abstinence, involve a certain level of risk regarding side-effects, permanent forms of birth control like “Essure” pose the most risk. It is a procedure that involves implanting sharp metal coils into the Fallopian tubes from a woman’s cervix which causes scar tissue, ultimately leading towards a blockage that will block sperm entry. The procedure sounds good in theory, but the risk for infections and the sharp coils damaging surrounding tissues are severe.

I have personally spoken to and surveyed hundreds of women over the last few weeks , some who were just in their early 20s, who have had to undergo hysterectomies, and in many cases claim they were not told that the procedure was permanent nor potentially dangerous. Hormonal birth control pills increase a woman’s chance of developing blood clots or suffering a heart attack, however, such risks can be greatly minimized by avoiding smoking and heavy drinking. When it comes to implantable devices like Essure, lifestyle choices have little effect on whether or not the patient will develop problems later on down the line. Hair-loss, heavy bleeding, and death are possible side-effects of this device.

This situation is far too familiar in our health-care system. Huge pharmaceutical companies suppressing natural medicines like cannabis or other forms of complimentary medicine, so that they can issue out their lobbying money towards hospitals in order to turn a profit. We are talking about a woman’s reproductive organ here! Stories like these go to show us that the action of sex should only be carried out if the subject is participating with a potential long-term mate. Regardless of the methods used, there is also a 1% chance rate of failure.

We forget that the biological function of sexual activity is for reproduction, not for mere entertainment. If you are a patient looking into reducing unwanted pregnancies yet still want intimacy, there are many other safer alternatives than to elect to permanently disfigure your body. The same goes for men. Cutting and litigating tubes and veins in your body just so you can have sex without the possibility of pregnancy seems far too dangerous in my mind. This is further evidence of why we need better sex education in our schools. We need broader discussions on the emotional, spiritual, and financial ramifications of sexual activity.

Regardless of how one might feel about birth control methods, we should all agree that this dangerous device be taken off the market. Sacrificing the health of our mothers, daughters, and sisters just so a major pharmaceutical company can make millions, just isn’t worth it. And shame on the doctors and the educational institutions who train them to ignore alternative medicine. Atleast in the UK, doctors are trained to be open towards alternative therapies like “Imagery” , “Acupuncture”, and herbal therapy.

The USA tends to operate as usual. If there is no profit margin for them, then they aren’t interested in the potential benefits. They are more concerned with treating their pocket books instead of their patients. The AMA (American Medical Association) artificially controls the amount of doctors we have in circulation, their wages, and their prescribing conduct. Hospitals won’t even disclose the prices of their services to non-insured patients! So much for a free-market system of trade! Instead, the medical industry operates on secrecy and veils to hide their misconduct.